Announcing the Launch of the Second Annual CAS Student Central Summer Program

The CAS Student Central Summer Program is returning for its second year to host an eight-week interactive professional and educational experience for university students. This free online program, designed by practicing actuaries, will support students’ career growth by providing technical and soft skill development, as well as mentorships and networking opportunities.

The program, originally established to fill the void created by cancelled internships last summer, was so well received, that student participants and mentors resoundingly recommended it be held again! Here are some highlights participants shared with us:

“This summer program provided an invaluable experience, from the weekly presentations and exercises to the mentor meetings. These all contributed in improving my technical and communication skills.”

“I learned about real techniques that actuaries use for pricing and reserving that I wouldn’t have otherwise learned. The mentor and student cohort meetings allowed us to exchange ideas about the material from the week and learn more about the actuarial field from our mentors.”

2021 Program Details

The program will run from Monday, June 14 – Friday, August 6. Over the course of the eight-week program participants will:

• Complete weekly modules that focus on a variety of property and casualty actuarial topics including pricing, reserving, and data visualization.
• Connect and network with mentors for weekly discussions as students advance through the program.
• Build important soft skills, such as presentation skills, resume/interview prep, professional courtesies and more!
• Work on teams with other students on a case competition addressing a real-life actuarial problem, and present their final projects to a panel of practicing actuaries. There will be cash prizes for the winning teams.

Participants will spend approximately 10 hours a week participating in the program and are expected to attend the program in its eight-week entirety. Presentations and materials will be in English. Participants who successfully complete the program will be awarded a certificate by the CAS documenting their accomplishment.

Who Should Apply?

The program is geared towards university students who are interested in gaining actuarial experience and knowledge of the property and casualty insurance industry. It is an exciting development opportunity for students who do not have an internship lined up for summer 2021. We welcome applications from across the globe.

We encourage students at schools without actuarial programs, as well as those who recently learned about the actuarial career, to apply. This program will also be beneficial to students who attend an actuarial program but have had limited exposure to property and casualty topics or limited access to actuarial internships.

The CAS Student Central Summer Program is also open to career changers who have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing the actuarial career path.

The CAS strongly encourages students that identify with groups historically under-represented in STEM professions, including Women, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, to apply.

There will be a similar version of this program offered in Mandarin Chinese, and the application for that program will be released later this spring. Students interested in participating in that program should not apply for the English language version.

Application Information:

Interested students should submit an application form by March 19th. Please note, we require one recommendation letter submitted within the application.

In order to provide the best possible mentoring and networking experience to participants, space in the mentored program is limited. Strong consideration will be given to candidates with limited access to actuarial science coursework or formal internship programs.

Applicants will be notified no later than April 9 as to the status of their application.

Because space is limited, applicants who are not offered a spot within the mentor-led program will have the opportunity to participate in the CAS Student Central Independent Summer Program, a self-paced alternative covering the same materials.

The independent program includes an online forum for participants to pose questions, connect with each other, and obtain guidance. It excludes the case competition, and weekly mentor discussions. Applicants interested in applying specifically for the CAS Student Central Independent Summer Program should also complete the application form above.

Questions? Please email us at studentprograms@casact.org.